These days everything is digital. Your payroll is managed online, you keep your team organised via email, and you can even order lunch straight to your site with just a few taps. So why are you still getting bogged down by Health and Safety paperwork?
HazardCo helps reduce the H&S burden with smart online tools to help you cut back on paperwork. Plus, it’s a time saver with its straightforward templates and reports which are full of tips and suggestions to give you the confidence that you have all your bases covered.
You can create a RAMS, Toolbox Meeting, Site Review, Incident Report, or Vehicle Checklist using the HazardCo App on your smartphone or tablet. The app has tools to guide you through each of these tasks, making them a breeze to complete anywhere, and at any time. No longer will H&S be a taxing task because HazardCo members can stay on top of their H&S whenever it works for them, whether that be on-site, in the office or the car.
We’ve found that people who have embraced going digital as part of their H&S strategy have seen it remove roadblocks, distractions, and excuses – because when you have H&S in the palm of your hand, you can’t not do it. Plus it leads to a safer worksite when H&S is the focus.
At HazardCo, we understand the importance of H&S for keeping your team engaged, on track, communicating, and most importantly, safe.
What is a RAMS? RAMS stands for Risk Assessment Method Statement. It’s an important health and safety document that is completed to identify the steps to complete an activity or task in a safe way.
How does the RAMS App work?
The HazardCo App makes it really easy to create your RAMS online, as well as other important on-site health and safety reports such as risk assessments, toolbox meetings and incident reports. The app is fully guided and comes with all the RAMS templates you need. By switching to completing your RAMS in an app rather than pen and paper, you’ll save time, you’ll always know you’ve got it in your pocket (because your H&S folder isn’t helping anyone in the back of your van) and it’s really easy to keep everyone on site involved. Just email it to the site supervisor or anyone else involved in the task.
RAMS are an essential part of managing health and safety on site. It’s easier than ever to create a RAMS online – helping you keep yourself safe and saving you time.
Let’s look at what’s considered a near miss, when they should be recorded and how to go about it.
Trades know all too well how regularly they have a close call on-site. But is a “close call” the same as a near miss?
Put simply, yes. A near miss is a dangerous event that occurred without causing personal injury or on-site damage of any kind.
Examples could be anything from a worker tripping over stacked material, dropping a hammer off the scaffold onto the ground, or backing the truck and narrowly missing the boss’s pickup. While these seem fairly innocent, they could have been more serious and it’s important that they are all reported. Evaluating what could have been done differently ensures on-site health and safety remains a priority.
Ignoring a near miss might not seem like a big deal, but it can create a culture on-site where safety isn’t taken seriously. We tend to find that when incidents aren’t reported, these are some of the common reasons why:
Look at near miss reporting as a second-chance educational tool. It’s not about blame or singling anyone out, it’s about discussing and emphasising a safer environment on-site. Combined with encouraging near miss reporting, it could mean the difference between change or injury.
Are there patterns in near misses occurring? Are there lots of reports of tools falling from height?
Near misses should never be overlooked. With a swipe and a few taps of the HazardCo App, on-site incident reporting couldn’t be easier. Every worker deserves to head home injury free after a hard day on the tools. Follow up on near misses, discuss what you’ve learnt and take action.
Health and safety is the responsibility of everyone on-site, so it’s important to get your team and your contractors involved.
As the main builder on-site, one of the timesaving HazardCo tools at your fingertips is the site-specific QR code located on your HazardCo Hazard Board. Getting everyone to scan in and out every day benefits you because:
– You’ll be able to see who is on-site in real time. Scan in and out data is saved in your HazardCo Hub so you can check the site history whenever you need to.
– Workers scanning in for the first time will be taken through a site induction and will be made aware of important information such as emergency contacts and site safety rules.
– Workers will be able to complete on-site reports such as online RAMS using the HazardCo App. Reports are guided and easy to use.
– It gives workers a daily reminder to be aware of health and safety.
Here are a few ideas to encourage everyone to scan in and out each day:
– Use your next Toolbox Meeting to walk everyone through the process of scanning in and out using the QR code on your Hazard Boards, making sure the team has the HazardCo App downloaded and set up.
– If you need to use some incentive, you could shout the team pizza and a cold beverage on Friday afternoon if everyone scans in and out every day that week… it gets the team working together to remind each other.
– You could make it part of your contract with any new contractors, and add it to the employment agreement you have with your own team.
There are lots of good reasons to get everyone scanning that QR code so get your team on board with it today.
